Trapped In California

So I have been stuck in California now for three weeks, because of mechanical issues. First there where issues with my trailer, one of the windskirts got damage, originally I thought I had damage it at a consignee but was told the damage I had thought I cause was another driver, so I took it to some repair shop for repairs. I actually ended up sitting for several days before they finally had me bring the trailer over. The repair shop supervisor told me he would call in a few days. So after two days of waiting, I went back, ready to grab my trailer and hit the road After a minute it became clear I wasn't going anywhere, he had no idea what I was talking about. Apparently somewhere along the way my work order got lost and being they were extremely busy to start with, well stuff happens. I think it was either Thursday or Friday, I was told come back Monday. I called my DM who told me to sit and wait for the trailer to be repaired. Monday I go back and talk with the same gentleman, who tells me they aren't going to be able to look at it till Wednesday So I go back to the truck, actually I think I went shopping. Wednesday comes, sorry we are waiting for supplies, sorry what company are you with again?? Check in with me on Friday So Friday comes. I go walk over and Lord behold my trailer is in the repair bay Oh Happy days! I figured since it's Friday at best I will hear back from them Monday. Monday comes and apparently the guy who handles trailer repairs took the day off. I go back Tuesday. Trailer is still in the repair bay. Finally I go back Wednesday and my trailer is out of the bay, parked with other trailers I bend down to inspect the trailer and both windskirts are missing Apparently a bracket or something supporting the second one was lose or cracked, according to the maintenance supervisor it was from wear and tear . so I asked for an estimate time till the repairs where done, I am told next week possibly. So I called my DM couldn't reach him, spoke to another DM I am told someone will get back to me. After a few hours of waiting, I call back, after being on hold for almost 30 minutes, I give up. I call the next day and get a hold of my DM. I explained the situation and he tells forget about the trailer he's going to get me back on the road. I get a dispatch for a relay into Las Vegas NV and then back to northern California. Altogether the trip will be 800-900 miles. It seems like from I was told being unloaded at the consignee in California might be delay by a day or two, I am told there was some dirt lot nearby I could park at, restaurants and a gas station where nearby No truck stops were close by. So I get to where I am supposed to get the relay. I find the trailer ( it was around 10-11 am) originally the trailer wasn't supposed to be there till between 1 and 6pm. I am thinking awesome I am going to be ahead of schedule. However as I get closer I noticed a red tag on the front, out of service. Turns out there is a electrical issue with the trailer turn signals. Luckily a trailer repair person was on site doing repairs. So around 12 pm I am giving the green light. I already done my inspection of the trailer, it had new tires it looked like the locking pins on the tadems where new and it looked like someone had recently taking it through a truck wash. So I get set up and back under the trailer. I feel the trailer slide into the 5th wheel but I don't hear the locking jaw of the 5th wheel closing around the king pin d I do my tug test and I roll from underneath the trailer. I get out make sure the trailer is not to high or low, I tried a second time, again the locking jaw doesn't close around the king pin. I get out and inspect the 5th wheel, I looked all over it, climb on the cat walk, crawled under it, check for obstructions, can't find anything So I back under a third time again the locking jaw won't close around the king pin. I crawl under the trailer and check , I tripple check. I try releasing the release handle as I did the previous two times. The release handle feels loose. I try one more time and I get the same results. For the record after the second failure to get the trailer and tractor to couple I had decided I wasn't going to be taking anything anywhere until someone could look at the 5th wheel, I tried the other two times hoping for a miracle. So I called spoke with a DM (not my usual DM) and they tell me okay we are going to pull you from that load, I am showing an empty go ahead and hook up to that one, click end of phone call To be continued

So I am sitting in the truck and less than a minute later my phone rings, it's the DM I had just spoken with. Did you say your locking jaw is malfunctioning? Yes I replied I explained the situation and all I had done to fix or try to solve the problem. Hold on he tells me. I hear him typing on the key board. He comes back and tells me he had coded me as available for loads because of mechanical issues with the 5th wheel. I am told to Bob tail to a terminal to get the issue look at. So I do and by the time I arrive the maintenance crew has gone home. So I have dinner (a sandwich and chips) and I go to bed. Early the next morning around 9am I go to the mainland shop. They open at 7am but I have learned that between 7am-9am maintenance people (whom I have nothing but absolute respect for) seem to be dysfunctional and extremely confused. I chalk it up to trying to figure out where they are on various jobs, checking emails, scheduling for repairs and voice mail plus any other calls. So I go talk to the maintenance manager, I explained that I need to have my 5th wheel look at. While I am telling him this he doesn't even look at me. Are you hook up to a trailer?? I reply I can't hook up to a trailer because, but before I can finish another maintenance person walks up and they have a lengthy conversation. The manager goes back to typing and then glances at me and asked me if there is something I need? But before I can tell him for the second or third time what my issue is, another maintenance person walks about after another lengthy conversation, he goes back to his computer, he started typing. I figured it might be something the maintenance guy told him so i wait patiently After about two minutes, I go excuse me I was inquiring about getting my, the phone rings, he turns picks up the phone answers maintenance...and pauses I don't know maybe it was look on my face, or maybe it finally Dawn on him I was standing there. Whatever the reason, he told the caller to hold. He asked what the problem was, which I explained and he told take my truck over to the inspection bay. After about a twenty minute wait. The inspection person comes up to me and asked me what I was there for. I explained about the 5th wheel. As I am doing so he pointed at my windshield it two small chips on the passenger side, been there since I got the truck. He was silent for a moment and said something about a windshield delivery on Monday. He walked around the truck, marking stuff on a clip board, When is your next service due? I am not sure, I got the truck last month. Well when your last service before that? With another company He simply look at me before it click in So you only recently were issued the truck?? Yes sir I replied about five weeks ago. How many miles? I tell him 435, 867 You might be due for a level A or B service. Any chance I can be out of here later today sometime? His response He stops and goes probably tomorrow I can have you rolling Me: I started to ask something else when I noticed he had this grin on his face I stopped and looked at him "I can have you rolling around the yard by tomorrow" Okay I admit I actually started laughing so hard it hurt. So he continues his inspection, he comes to my drive tires looks at them, and tells me they look alright He looks again , said something about tires and Tuesday to himself Follow by replace drive tires. So I filled out the paperwork for the repairs wrote down a few other mechanical issues I was having , he tells me to go park and possibly later they can start with my truck. That was Friday. Friday came and went Saturday came and went. Sunday the maintenance shop was closed. Was going to to drive to a truck stop for a shower but I didn't want to start my 70 hour clock until I had a load Also another thing was my truck was in the maintenance Rowe so I got kind of worried about driving it to the truck stop, and I get in accidents or it decided to break down. I am calling for a DM (after hours on the weekend) plus maintenance/accident hot line explaining the situation and they are asking why I drove the truck out of the yard when records show it's supposed to be Park in the maintenance dragging area? So today (Monday) my truck went in for repairs at 9am At 6pm I found it park back in the staging area with an a red out of service tag on my door Well at least I have some place to sleep tonight

Heck. I'm annoyed I'll be sitting for 5 days before I can potentially get a load due to having none in the area. And may not get one due to having scheduled maintenance coming up. You got it worse. Sorry.

Wow. most of that is inexperience really, sorry.

First, i would have been calling that first shop every morning and afternoon for an update. After 24 hours, I probably would have told my company i wantee to drop.it at a Utility repair place and get a new trailer.

Were you in northern Cali in the cold? When i was new my locking jaw did the same. I did the same and waited a week in WI for a new 5th wheel. it never arrived at the Freightliner dealer so dispatch had me bobtail to the terminal. The problem? The grease froze in clumps and prevented the jaw to actually lock. Power wash cleaned it and that other shop was trying to charge thousands for a 5th wheel.

As for the rest.....i have friends in the same boat at other companies.

I was amazed to find out that other companies do not have 24 hour mechanics, washbays and detail shops. I think i am spoiled lol. Good thing you are getting everything done though. good luck.

Wow, that is absurd. Are you with a small carrier? You don't have to give the name, but I'm wondering if they're a small carrier with lousy equipment and a limited maintenance crew. Most major carriers have 24 hr shops and spare equipment available to keep drivers moving. You shouldn't be sitting around waiting on trailers or waiting extended periods of time for a tractor. They should be able to do something to keep you moving.

Wow. most of that is inexperience really, sorry.

First, i would have been calling that first shop every morning and afternoon for an update. After 24 hours, I probably would have told my company i wantee to drop.it at a Utility repair place and get a new trailer.

Were you in northern Cali in the cold? When i was new my locking jaw did the same. Okay I admit perhaps I should have been more aggressive in my approach of dealing with the repair shop and trailer issue. However often times coming off aggressive and blowing up people's phone can back fire. To answer your question Kearsey, no I wasn't in California in freezing conditions as far I remember the temperature was in the 80's and low 90's with some days in the high 70's. The first day I walked into the shop and spoke with the manager,:their six bay repair shop was filled. After I explained why I was there. He told that where 36 other walk in's before me, so there was no he would get to me that day. (That was Monday) I had arrived on the previous Thursday in the late afternoon. I had less than five hours on my 70 hour clock. So I was concerned about them taking the trailer getting the repairs done and I didn't have any availabile drive time. I did walk over and speak with someone Saturday, but they weren't accepting any new jobs and was told to come back Monday. I think I drop off the trailer on a Wednesday and was told to check by Friday for a status update and that is when the headache started. Another thing is the company didn't want me to leave the trailer there So I ended up sitting until I got permission to leave. I didn't think about power washing the 5th wheel? I can only think that something is jamming the locking jaw or something broke in area I can't see. There is also the release arm. God willing I will be back on the road by tomorrow

When I was with CRST, the only full time 24/7 shop they had was the one at Riverside and after 6pm they normally don't accept new jobs. They have several other terminals where when 5 pm hits the maintenance crew simply vanish.

When I was with CRST, the only full time 24/7 shop they had was the one at Riverside and after 6pm they normally don't accept new jobs. They have several other terminals where when 5 pm hits the maintenance crew simply vanish.

But when you were with CRST did you ever sit for three weeks because of maintenance issues?

You never said what size company you're with now.

Hope they're at least paying you for the downtime.

I can't imagine ANY MAJOR COMPANY leaving an asset sitting for so long. Usually, at the "majors" - a unit with 435K miles would be getting close to being replaced. Might be time to talk to the driver managers MANAGER - or if the president of the company has an "open door policy" - dropping him a message.

Hope you at least documented some of the issues on your QC messaging system, so you have some backup as to the nature and length of your issues.

Keep us posted how this ends up shaking out...

Rick

I was speaking with a driver and was told that when you reach the 500,000 in miles marker , your truck is considered to be at the end of life, he said some trucks have been kept running till the 600,000 area, but generally some where in the 500,000 range you get reassigned to a different truck.